1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a compression latch for selectively maintaining a panel or door in a closed position relative to a doorframe or the like.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In many applications the need arises to selectively maintain a panel or door in a closed position relative to a doorframe or the like, while developing a compressive force between the door or panel and the doorframe. For example, when a gasket is used to provide a seal between a door and a doorframe when the door is closed, it would be desirable for the latch holding the door closed to provide a compressive force to compress the gasket between the door and the doorframe to effectively seal the any gap or seam between the door and doorframe. Latches that develop this type of compressive force between the door and doorframe are known as compression latches. An example of a known compression latch can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,935, issued to Robert H. Bisbing on Aug. 16, 1988, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The compression latch of U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,935 does not provide for a handle that can be folded down in both the latched and unlatched configurations. In certain applications it is desirable to have a compression latch with a handle that can be folded down in both the latched and unlatched configurations so that a user's clothing or body parts will not catch on the handle even when the latch remains unlatched during intervals of time when it is more convenient to leave the latch in the unlatched configuration to allow repeated access through the door. An example of this type of application is a latch for the door of a holding tank for storing the catch in a sport fishing boat. The need persists in the art for a compression latch that has a handle that can be folded down to be practically flush with the exterior surface of the door in both the latched and unlatched configurations.